Sycamore city council approves application for state loan to aid in water line replacement

SYCAMORE – The Sycamore City Council is one step closer to securing state funding to replace lead water lines throughout the city as part of an ongoing plan to improve the water system.

The council approved on Monday the authorization of the city’s public works director to sign Illinois Environmental Protection Agency forgivable loan documents, should the city’s application for the funds to replace lead water lines be approved.

According to the agenda for the meeting, the IEPA requires that a resolution be passed to authorize an official signer of the loan documents and related information for the city’s application to the IEPA for a low interest loan and debt forgiveness. The resolution, which was recommended for council approval by city staff, would authorize the public works director to execute the loan to replace the lead water lines within city limits on behalf of the city.

“This is the next step in our process,” Sycamore Acting City Manager Maggie Peck told the council.

The City Council then voted, 8-0, to approve the resolution. All aldermen attended the meeting in person.

Peck said the city is still in the process of getting the loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency meant to help replace the city’s lead water service lines. She said the city got the application in very early with the state, before most municipalities submitted theirs – so she’s confident the city has a good chance in having its application be approved.

Peck said city officials has been keeping tabs on the status of the application every step of the way. She said officials are tentatively expecting to hear one way or the other sometime this spring.

“We believe we’ll know something soon,” Peck said.

Peck said the requested loan amount is just below $1 million.

The update comes as Sycamore residents continue to express concerns over the possibility of lead in their water following conflicting water test results and poor quality of the taps in their homes. During a months-long renewed effort taken to the city to address, a number of residents also got together and filed a class action lawsuit against the city in October of 2020, which remains ongoing.

The City Council approved in November a $6.90 water bill base fee that would go toward city funds for water system improvements, following related previous city official discussion during the council’s Oct. 19 meeting. The city created a water master plan in 2019 addressing city underground water main improvements – including main breaks, water quality and fire flows – totaling $11.25 million. The base fee was meant to be a funding source for those master plan projects.

City officials have continued to deny the water is unsafe to drink. However, the city previously said they are looking to propose a separate program that would give a $1,000 utility bill credit for homeowners that replace their lead water service lines.

Peck said the city knows there are hundreds of homes in the city that have lead service lines but not every home owner in the city knows either way. She said the city continues to look into exactly how many homes that could apply to.

“We’re hoping to have that finalized in the next couple of weeks,” Peck said.